Formulation and Evaluation of Fast Dissolving Oral Films of Metoprolol...

Human Journals

Research Article

May 2015 Vol.:3, Issue:2

© All rights are reserved by Swati Swami et al.

Formulation and Evaluation of Fast Dissolving Oral Films of

Metoprolol Succinate

www.ijppr.humanjournals.com

Keywords: HPMC E-5, HEC, Oral Films, Metoprolol

Succinate, Solvent Casting Method

ABSTRACT

Fast dissolving oral films are useful in patients such as

paediatric, geriatric, bedridden or developmentally

disabled who face difficulty in swallowing conventional

tablets or capsules and liquid orals or syrups leading to

ineffective therapy. The delivery system consists of a very

thin oral strip, which is simply placed on the patient’s

tongue or any oral mucosal tissue, instantly wet by saliva

the film rapidly hydrates and adheres onto the site of

application.

The present study was aimed to formulate fast dissolving

oral films to enhance bioavailability and avoid pre-

systemic metabolism. The key is to develop successful oral

film by solvent casting method and selected the right

compatible excipients using FTIR studies. Oral film was

fabricated using HPMC E5 and HEC polymer. The

prepared films were evaluated for organoleptic

evaluations, film weight, thickness, folding endurance,

tensile strength, drug content uniformity of films, surface

pH, disintegration time and in-vitro dissolution studies.

The formulation F5 has disintegration time of 7 seconds

and is more promising and showed drug release of 98 %

after 5 minutes; hence formulation F5 was selected as best

formulation.

Dr. D. Nagendrakumar, Keshavshetti GG, Pratibha

Mogale, Swati Swami*, Harshanand Swami

Department of Pharmaceutics, SVET’s College of

Pharmacy, Humnabad - 585 330 (Karnataka).

Submission: 4 May 2015

Accepted: 9 May 2015

Published: 25 May 2015


Citation: Swati Swami et al. Ijppr.Human, 2015; Vol. 3 (2): 93-106.

94

INTRODUCTION

Fast dissolving drug delivery systems came into existence in the late 1970’s as an alternative to

tablets, capsules and syrups for pediatric and geriatric patients who experience difficulties in

swallowing traditional oral solid dosage forms. These systems consist of the solid dosage forms

that disintegrate and dissolve quickly in the oral cavity without the administration of water.

Research and development in the oral drug delivery segment has led to transition of dosage

forms from simple conventional tablets or capsules to modified release tablets or capsules to oral

disintegrating tablet (ODT) to wafer to the recent development of oral fast dissolving films

(OFDFs). Amongst the plethora of avenues explored for the rapid drug releasing products, oral

strip technology is gaining much attention [1]

.

Fast dissolving films (FDF), a type of oral drug delivery system for the oral delivery of the drug,

was developed based on the technology of the transdermal patch. This delivery system consists

of a thin film, which is simply placed on the patient’s tongue or mucosal tissue, instantly wet by

saliva; the film rapidly dissolves. Then it rapidly disintegrates and dissolves to release the

medication for oral mucosal absorption [2]

.

FDOFs are useful in patients such as pediatric, geriatrics, bedridden, emetic patients, diarrhoea,

sudden episode of allergic attacks, or coughing for those who have an active life style. It is also

useful whether local action desired such as local anesthetic for toothaches, oral ulcers, cold sores

or teething. The OTFs place as an alternative in the market due to the consumer’s preference for

a fast-dissolving product over conventional tablets/capsules. The oral thin film technology is still

in the beginning stages and has bright future ahead because it fulfils all the need of patients.

Eventually, film formulations having drug/s will be commercially launched using the OTF

technology [3]

.

Metoprolol succinate is β1 selective (cardioselective) adrenoreceptor blocking agent. It is used as

anti-hypertensive, anti-anginal and in acute myocardial infarction. The bioavailability of the

Metoprolol succinate is about 40-50%, with 3-4 hr half life. In hypertension, it is given in 50 mg

daily and according to response the dose may increases to 400 mg [4]

.



95

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Metoprolol Succinate was obtained as gift sample from Dr. Reddys Laboratories, Hyderabad.

HPMC E-5 and HEC were obtained as a gift sample from Colorcon Asia Pvt. Limited, Verna.

PEG-400 and Citric Acid were obtained from Merck Chemicals Ltd., Mumbai.

1. Preparation of Fast Dissolving Oral Films: [5]

1.1. Calculation of drug loaded in the film:

Diameter of the Petridish:

Radius of the Petridish = Diameter/2 = 6/2 = 3 cm.

πr2 =3.14 X 3 X 3 = 28.26 cm

2

Now, Dose is 5 mg and cut the pieces in 2 cm X 2 cm = 4 cm2

4 cm2 contain 5 mg drug

So, 28.26 cm2 contain (?) Drug = 35.32 mg Drug

2 mL contain 35.32 Drug

Then, 10 mL contain = (?) Drug = 176.60 mg Drug.

1.2. Procedure

Weigh accurate amount of polymer and socked in 10 mL water for overnight. Required quantity

of Metoprolol Succinate is dissolved in 10 mL of water. Added Citric Acid and orange flavour

and stirred for 45 minutes. Mixed the solution and added polymer solution to it with continuous

stirring. At last added PEG 400 as a plasticizer by stirring. Again stir it for 45 minutes and

sonicate the solution for 15 minutes to remove the air bubbles. Then kept it aside for 1 hour to

settle down the foam. Placed the solution in measuring cylinder. Lubricate the petridish with the

help of Glycerol and kept the bangle in petridish then casted the prepared 2 mL of solution

within the bangle.

The resulting bubble free viscous solution was casted on to Petri dish (area of 28.26cm2) then the

films were cut in to size of 2×2 cm

2 containing 5 mg of Metoprolol Succinate. Then the prepared

films were stored at room temperature.



96

Table No.1: Formulations of Metoprolol Succinate Oral Films

* Quantity sufficient

Figure 1: Prepared Fast Dissolving Oral Films

Formulation

No.

Active

Ingredient

(mg)

HPMC

E5 (gm)

HEC

(gm)

PEG

400

(mL)

Citric

Acid

(mg)

Orange

Flavour

(mg)

Water

(mL)

F1 176 0.9 _ 1 200 10 q.s.*

F2 176 1.2 _ 1 200 10 q.s.*

F3 176 1.5 _ 1 200 10 q.s.*

F4 176 1.8 _ 1 200 10 q.s.*

F5 176 2.1 _ 1 200 10 q.s.*

F6 176 _ 0.9 1 200 10 q.s.*

F7 176 _ 1.2 1 200 10 q.s.*

F8 176 _ 1.5 1 200 10 q.s.*

F9 176 _ 1.8 1 200 10 q.s.*

F10 176 _ 2.1 1 200 10 q.s.*



97

2. Evaluation of Fast Dissolving oral Films:

2.1. Organoleptic Evaluations:

Formulated films were evaluated for oraganoleptic evaluations like color, odor and taste.

2.2. Physical Appearance and Surface Texture:

Physical appearance was checked by visual inspection and surface texture was evaluated by

touch or feel of the film.

2.3. Weight Uniformity: [6]

The cast film was cut at different places and the weight of each film was checked with the help

of an electronic balance and the average weight was calculated.

2.4. Folding Endurance: [6]

Folding endurance was determined by repeatedly folding the film at the same position until it

breaks. The number of times the films can be folded without breaking is termed as the folding

endurance value.

2.5. Tensile Strength: [7]

Tensile strength is the maximum stress applied to a point at which the strip specimen breaks. The

film size 5 x 2 cm2 and free of physical imperfection was placed between two clamps held 10mm

apart. The film was pulled by clamp at a rate of 5mm/min.

It is calculated by the applied load at rupture divided by the cross‐sectional area of the strip as

given in the equation below:

This test was done on randomly selected three films from each batch and average values were

reported.

2.6. Percentage Elongation: [7]

When stress is applied, a film sample stretches, and this is referred to as a strain. Strain is

basically the deformation of film divided by the original dimension of the sample.



98

2.7. Thickness of Films: [7]

The thickness of three randomly selected films from every batch was determined using a

standard Vernier Caliper and average values were reported.

2.8. Disintegration Time: [8]

It can be performed by two methods for oral films:

I. Slide frame method: one drop of distilled water was dropped by a pipette onto the oral films.

Therefore the films were clamped into slide frames and were placed planar on a petridish. The

time until the film dissolved and caused a hole within the film was measured.

II. Petridish method: 2 mL of distilled water was placed in a petridish and one film was added on

the surface of the water and the time measured until the oral film was dissolved completely.

This test was done on randomly selected three films from each batch and average values were

reported.

2.9. Surface pH: [9]

The surface pH of the films was determined in order to investigate the possibility of any side

effects in vivo. As an acidic or alkaline pH may cause irritation to the buccal mucosa, it was

determined to keep the surface pH as close to neutral as possible. A combined glass electrode

was used for this purpose. The 2 cm X 2 cm film was dissolved in 2 mL of distilled water. The

pH was measured by bringing the electrode in contact with the surface of the film and allowing it

to equilibrate for 1 minute. The experiments were performed in triplicate and average values

were reported.

2.10. Drug Content of Films (% Assay): [10]

Standard preparation:

Weighed accurately 5 mg of Metoprolol Succinate was dissolved in100 mL pH 6.8 phosphate

buffer. Diluted 1 mL of this solution to 10 mL with pH 6.8 phosphate buffer.

Test Preparation:

A sample film of size 2×2cm2 which were placed in a beaker containing 100 mL of methanol.

Diluted 10 mL of this solution to 10 mL with methanol.



99

Procedure:

Absorbance of standard preparation and test preparation was taken using UV double beam

spectrophotometer at 222 nm and % assay was calculated.

2.11. In-vitro Drug Release: [11]

The in-vitro dissolution study is carried out in stimulated saliva solution pH 6.8 phosphate buffer

using USP paddle (Type II) apparatus at 37±0.5°C. Samples are withdrawn at regular time

interval and analyzed by UV-Visible spectrophotometer. By this method cumulative drug release

and cumulative percentage of drug retained were calculated. In-vitro drug dissolution was

performed using USP paddle apparatus. The studies were carried out at 37°C with stirring speed

of 75 rpm in 900 mL of pH 6.8 phosphate buffer dissolution medium. 5 mL of samples were

withdrawn at predetermined time intervals of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 minutes and replaced with the same

volume of buffer. The samples were collected and the absorbance was determined at 222 nm UV

visible spectrophotometer.

The results of in-vitro release data obtained for all formulations were fitted in two popular

models of data treatments as follows:

I. Zero-order kinetic model (cumulative percent drug released versus time)

II. First-order kinetic model (log cumulative percent drug remaining versus time).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 2: Physical Characterization of Fast Dissolving Oral Films



100

1.1. Physical characterization of fast dissolving oral films:

The physical characterization of the formulated oral films was done by solvent casting method.

The results were tabulated in Table 5. The weight variation and thickness of the films ranges

from 16.71 ±0.445 to 22.75 ±0.420 mg and 0.037 ± 0.021 to 0.053 ± 0.015 respectively. Tensile

strength and folding endurance of the films ranges from ±2.60 to 4.29 ±8.01 and 207 to 268

respectively.

Disintegration time and Drug content uniformity of films ranges from 7sec to 40 sec and 96.1

±0.29 to 99.80 ±0.34 respectively. As the polymer concentration increases the thickness, folding

endurance and disintegration time of the film also increases.

The formulation F5 shown maximum tensile strength of 429 and F10 shown maximum folding

endurance upto 268. This might be due to the formation of strong hydrogen bonds between

polymer and plasticizer there by imparting flexibility to withstand rupture.

The percent drug release of all the formulations was found to be in the range of 9.14±0.35 to

98.980±0.70.

Among all the formulations, the formulation F5 emerged as the overall best formulation (t25%,

t50%, t70% and t90% 1.00, 2.00, 3.12, 5.00 min respectively) based on drug release characteristics (in

pH 6.8 phosphate buffer) and shown disintegration time of 7 ±1.00 Sec. Whereas formulation

F10 containing 21% of HEC shown disintegration time of 18 seconds and released 98.98% drug

release in 9 mins.

5.2. Drug polymer compatibility studies:

FTIR studies conducted on pure drug and mixture of drug with excipients given in Figures 2, 3

and 4, which showed that, there is no marked interaction between drug and excipients used.



101

Figure 2: FTIR Spectra of Metoprolol Succinate Pure Drug

Figure 3: FTIR Spectra of Metoprolol Succinate Formulation F5



102

Figure 4: FTIR Spectra of Metoprolol Succinate Formulation F10

Figure 5: Cumulative Percent Drug Released v/s Time Plots (Zero Order) of formulations

F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5 in pH 6.8 Phosphate Buffer



103

Figure 6: Log Cumulative Percent Drug Remaining v/s Time Plots (First Order) of

formulations F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5 in pH 6.8 Phosphate Buffer

Figure 7: Cumulative Percent Drug Released v/s Time Plots (Zero Order) of formulations

F6, F7, F8, F9 and F10 in pH 6.8 Phosphate Buffer



104

Figure 8: Log Cumulative Percent Drug Remaining v/s Time Plots (First Order) of

formulations F6, F7, F8, F9 and F10 in pH 6.8 Phosphate Buffer

Table 3: Dissolution Parameters for the Formulations

Sr.

No.

Formulation

code

t25%

(min)

t50%

(min)

t70%

(min)

t90%

(min)

Cumulative %

drug release in

10 minutes

1. F1 2.48 5.48 8.12 >10 83.94

2. F2 2.48 6.12 8.48 >10 86.36

3. F3 2.00 4.00 6.00 >9 97.04

4. F4 1.36 3.00 4.24 >8 97.52

5. F5 1.00 2.00 3.12 >6 98.01

6. F6 3.00 6.00 8.24 >10 79.08

7. F7 2.48 5.48 8.12 >10 83.45

8. F8 2.00 4.48 7.12 >10 86.36

9. F9 2.12 4.00 6.00 >10 95.58

10. F10 1.48 2.48 4.48 >10 98.98



105

Figure 9: Comparison of Dissolution Parameters (t25%, t50%, t70% and t90%) of Fast

Dissolving Films of Metoprolol Succinate

CONCLUSION

Preformulation study involving FTIR study showed no interaction between drug and polymer.

Fast dissolving films prepared in the study exhibited good film characteristic features as

indicated by thickness measured, folding endurance, disintegration time, tensile strength and

drug content. The prepared films were found to be uniform, flexible and 98.98% of drug was

released by formulation F10 in 9 minutes which was desirable for fast absorption. It can be

concluded that oral thin film formulation can be a potential novel drug dosage form for pediatric,

geriatric and also for general population. Hence fast dissolving films of Metoprolol Succinate

were found to be suitable for eliciting better therapeutic effect in the treatment of

Antihypertension.

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